I Was on a Podcast! Let’s Talk Procurement, Mistakes MSPs Make, and Why Spreadsheets Aren’t the Enemy
I recently had the absolute pleasure of joining Daniel Welling and Adam Morris on The MSP Finance Team podcast to chat about one of my favorite topics (yes, really): procurement. More specifically, procurement challenges for MSPs and how your ConnectWise setup might be quietly sabotaging your operations.
🎧 You can listen to the episode on [Spotify] or [Apple Podcasts]. Spoiler alert: we get real about spreadsheets, vendor relationships, and why your PSA shouldn't feel like a haunted maze.
What We Covered (And Why You Should Tune In)
As a ConnectWise consultant who specializes in helping MSPs (plus Pro AV Installers and Security companies) clean up their procurement messes, I often see the same issues come up again and again. So in this episode, we dug into the big three:
Overcomplicating the Process – Procurement isn’t a mythical beast. Whether you're running a $500K or $5M business, the steps are the same: quote ➡️ buy ➡️ receive ➡️ invoice.
Not Knowing Who Does What – If responsibilities aren’t clear, your procurement process will break. And let’s be real, “someone” handling “something” never works.
Stopping Before Quote-to-Cash is Complete – Getting the hardware is just step one. Did you invoice for it? Recognize the cost? Don’t ghost your finance team.
We also touched on:
When to invest in PSA tools like ConnectWise
Why a humble spreadsheet is sometimes the hero we need
How to scorecard your vendors (because relationships > cheapest price)
Inventory management (yes, even for MSPs!)
Turning procurement into a profit center instead of a money pit
And my personal favorite tip? Buy on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Seriously - it’s a game-changer for batching orders and keeping your sanity.
Why This Matters for MSPs Using ConnectWise
If you're an MSP still fighting with the procurement module inside ConnectWise (or worse - ignoring it), this episode is your sign to tackle it head-on. Whether you’re a scrappy two-person team or scaling fast, cleaning up procurement is one of the highest-leverage moves you can make.
Better vendor communication. Happier clients. Cleaner financials. And less “Where the heck is that PO?” at 4:59 PM on a Friday.
A Huge Thank You
Big thanks to Daniel Welling and Adam Morris for having me on. You were both brilliant hosts - and patient enough to let me nerd out on procurement for a solid 30 minutes.
If you want to learn more about how to get your procurement from chaos to Run State, check out my ConnectWise Procurement Course. It’s an 8-week journey from spreadsheet soup to streamlined process. Group or 1-on-1 options available.
📩 And if you’ve got a procurement mess you’d rather not admit to in public, let me know. We’ve all been there.
